Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

Floor panels

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic21665.aspx

By MarkMK - 7/21/2016 9:58:20 AM

I'm thinking of replacing the floor panels on my kit car with carbon ones. 

Current panels are rivetted in place and are approximately 1mm thick. 

The seat bases are bolted through steel mounting straps running across the floor, so they take the weight of the seat/driver, but the floor will be stepped upon when getting in and out etc. 

Do you think  nomex/aluminium/foam  cored panels would work best and be structurally better than, say, a 2mm pure carbon panel (estimate that this thickness might be need so as not to deflect too much)?

Additionally, I'm looking for the best method of finishig the edges of the panels, if cored, in order to provide a good mounting surface to then rivet to the chassis tubes. Would these need to be built up somewhat yo match the thickness of the cored main structure?

Any thoughts/prior experience? 
By Dravis - 7/22/2016 8:00:27 PM

IMHO a 2 mm thick (Even a 1,5 mm ) solid carbon/kevlar mixed panel/flor plate will outperform the original 1 mm aluminum, it will certainly be just as stiff, provided that you lay up with some of the CF/kevlar at 45 deg .
(or buy some of the cheap biaxial that EC has on sale .. great stuff .. )

a 2 mm Infused CF panel will use about 8 layers of 200 gsm CF cloth -- I would go for 2 -3 layers of "outside"  in the pattern you want and then 2 layers of 300 gsm biaxial -- That will certainly be just as strong as a 1 mm alu plate ..